Hydraulic folding gooseneck boom



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 26, 1959 c. v. MORRIS v HYDRAULIC FOLDING GOOSENECK BOOM Filed Dec. 28, 1953 Nh, Wh,

Wm. E QN NM. Nm.. IIE IllzE wN NN May 26, 1959 c. v. MORRIS 2,388,151

HYDRAULIC FOLDING GoosENEcx BooM Filed Dec. 28, 1953 2 sheets-sheet 2 hlll lliil..

ATTORNEY nited States Patent HYDRAULIC FOLDING GOOSENECK BOOM Carrol Vernon Morris, Kansas City, Mo., assignor t Pitman Manufacturing Company, Kansas City, Mo., a partnership composed of Raymond 0. Pitman and Raymond F. Pitman Application December 28 1953, Serial No. 400,641

2 Claims. Cl. 212-144) This invention relates to improvements in cranes, derricks, and other lifting structures utilizing an elongated boom swingable on a horizontal axis and/or a vertical axis for raising and lowering relatively heavy objects, the primary aim of the present invention being to provide a foldable gooseneck boom including a novel joint between the relatively swingable sections of the boom.

It is the most important object ofthe present invention to provide a boom including a pair of normally end-toend sections, hingedly interconnected for swinging movement of their proximal ends toward and away from each other and having power-actuated toggle linkage operably interconnectingthe said ends of the sections in spacedrelationship to the point of articulation.

Other objects include many important details of con struction of the manner of mounting the sectional boom of the present invention, all of which will be made clear or become apparent as the following specication progresses.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary, top plan view of a hydraulic folding gooseneck boom made pursuant to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevational view thereof, parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View showing the hoorn in a folded condition and illustrating the manner of mounting the same on a support.

As will hereinafter appear, the primary problem overcome through use of boom structure such as that shown in the drawings, relates to the transportation of the boom to and from a point of use when the same is operably mounted on a truck bed. By virtue of the fact that conventional booms lie flatly on the bed of the truck when not in use and while being transported, it is virtually impossible to utilize the said bed for receiving other machinery or apparatus to be carried by the truck.

As will hereinafter appear therefore, the foldable boom of the present invention permits use of truck bed 10, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, for carrying of other machinery, devices and the like such as are diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4 and designated by the numeral 12. In Fig. 4 of the drawings there is also illustrated one way of operably mounting the boom of the crane upon the truck bed which includes upright framework 14, having a standard 16 mounted thereon for rotation on a vertical axis. Winch means (not shown) operably coupled with a cable 18 which is in turn connected with the boom, serves to raise and lower the latter as it swings on a horizontal axis 20 serving to mount the boom on the rotatable standard 16.

The boom about to be described rnay consist of a plurality of sections, but for purposes of illustration there has been shown but one pair of such sections 22 and 24, the boom being designated in its entirety by the numeral AIce 26. Cable 1S may be coupled with boom section 24v as shown in U.S. Letters Patent No. 2,717,701, or otherwise, as desired. The form and construction of the sections 22 and 24, except at their proximal ends, forms no part of the present invention and may be varied as desired. The said proximal ends of the sections 22 and 24 are, however, of special construction and interconnected by hinge means broadly designated by the numeral 28, lincluding a transverse hinge pin 30. When the boom 26 is extended with the sections 22 and 24 in alignment as shown in Figs. l to 3 inclusive, the adjacent ends of the sections 22 and 24 converge toward the hinge. pin 30 as best seen in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings.

Flange means 32 and 34 on the` sections 22 and 24 respectively, are disposed for interengagement when the boom 26 is folded to a position where the section 24 is disposed horizontally over the articles 12, as shown in Fig. 4.

In addition to the hinge means 28, toggle linkage, broadly designated by the numeral 36 is utilized to interconnect the sections 22 and 24. Linkage 36 includes pivot shafts 38 and 40 mounted on the sections 22 and 24 respectively, in spaced parallelism to the hinge pin y30, links 42 swingably mounted on the shaft 38 and.

links 44 and 46 swingably mounted on the shaft 40. The links 42 are pivotally coupled with the links 44 and 46 by means of aV pivot rod 48 in spaced. parallelism'to the hinge-pin Sil and to the pivot shafts 3S and 40.

The links 46-46 are in the nature of triangular-shapedv plates and receive one end of a piston stem4 50. forming a part of fluid power means that includes a cylinder 52. The stern Sll is pivotally connected to the linkage 36 by a rotatable connection with the plates 46-46 through use of a pivot pin 54. A pivot 56 swingably secures the cylinder 52 to the section 24. Swinging movement of the toggle linkage 36 in one direction is limited by stop plates 58 rigidly secured to the links 44-44 and extending into overlying engagement with the links 42-42 when the boom 26 is extended with the sections 22 and 24 in alignment as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

The extensible power means 50-52 is of the doubleacting ram-type and may be used in conjunction with the means for swinging the boom 26 on axis 20 and which includes the cable 1S to either extend the sections 22 and 24 as shown in Figs. l to 3 inclusive, or break the joint therebetween and thereby position the sections as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

As the piston stem Sil is retracted lfrom the extended position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pivot pin 54 which is normally spaced both from the pivot rod 48 and the hinge pin 30 in substantial alignment therewith as shown in Fig. 2, moves upwardly and inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby swinging the linkage 36 and permitting the flanges 32 and 34 to move into interengagement.

During such retraction of the stem 50, the stops S8 are free to move away from the links 42, whereas the extent of outward movement of the stem 50 relative tothe cylinder 52 is limited by the stops 53 moving into engagement with the links 42. Manifestly, the cylinder 52 is coupled with a source of energy such as hydraulic fluid, together with suitable control valves, all of which are not illustrated and which may take any desired form.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a boom structure having an inner boom section and an outer boom section, the latter normally extending outwardly from said inner section at an angle relative thereto with the proximal ends of the sections in interengagernent, presenting an outside corner and an inside corner between the sections; hinge means at one of said assaiei corners, pivotally interconnecting the sections for vertical swinging movement of the outer section relative to the inner section; toggle means including a pair of links having pivot means interconnecting the same, said links being normallyy disposed in a folded condition and pivotally interconnecting the sections at the other of said corners; power means coupling one of said sections with one of said links for straightening the latter to an extended psition spanning the distance between the sections as the outer section is swung into alignment with the inner section, thereby separating said proximal ends to a position converging relatively as said hinge means is approached, said proximal ends of the sections and said toggle means forming a triangle when the links are extended and said proximal ends are separated, said power means being coupled with said one link to force the links into the confines of said one section when the toggle means is swung to said folded condition, each link being provided with a shaft pivotally connecting the same with its corresponding section; and structure pivotally connecting said pivot means with one of said shafts, said structure being provided with pin means disposed between said pivot means and said hinge means in substantial alignment therewith when the toggle means is extended, said power means comprising a uid piston and cylinder assembly pivotally interconnecting said pin means and said outer section.

2. In a boom structure having an inner boom section and an outer boom section, the latter normally extending outwardly from said inner section at an angle relative thereto with the proximal ends of the sections in interengagement, presenting an outside corner and an inside corner between the sections; hinge means at one of said corners, pivotally interconnecting the sections for vertical swinging movement of the outer section relative to the inner section; toggle means including a pair of links having pivot means interconnecting the same, said links being normally disposed in a folded condition and pivotally interconnecting the sections at the other of said corners; and power means coupling one of said sections with one of said links for straightening the latter to an extended position spanning the distance between the sections as the outer section is swung into alignment with the inner section, thereby separating said proximal ends to a position converging relatively as said hinge means is approached, said proximal ends of the sections and said toggle means forming a triangle when the links are extended and said proximal ends are separated, said power means being coupled with said one link to force the 'links into the contines ofmsaid one section when the toggle means is swung to said folded condition, there being stop means on said one link engaging the other of said links when the toggle means is extended whereby to limit the extent of outward swinging movement of the links.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,920,370 Forsythe et al. Aug. l, 1933 2,031,549 Rui Feb. 18, 1936 2,297,992 Swim Oct. 6, 1942 2,570,383 Russell Oct. 9, 1951 2,573,528 Woolslayer et al Oct. 30, 1951 `2,598,517 Drott May 27, 1952 2,680,525 Weatherby June 8, 1954 2,689,656 Przybylski Sept. 2l, 1954 2,745,559 McIntyre May 15, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 788,543 France July 29, 1935 

